Bonded abrasive



Patented Nov. 11, 1941 BONDED ABRASIVE Robert C. Swain, Riverside, and Donald W. Light, Old Greenwich, Conn., assignors to American New York, N. Y., a cor- Cyanamid Company, poration of Maine No Drawing.

Application September 14, 1940,

Serial No. 356,826

10 Claims.

for molded abrasive articles which will wet the abrasive particles and therefore give a strong bond without the use of extreme molding pressures. Still further objects will become apparent from the following description, when taken with the claims appended thereto.

We have found that an improved class of bonded abrasive articles is obtained when binders containing aminotriazine-aldehyde resins such as melamine resins are used in admixture with phenol-formaldehyde type resins. Bonded abrasives containing blends of aminotriazine-aldehyde resins with phenolic resins are extremely heat-resistant; the bond does not weaken at the high temperatures encountered in high-speed grinding but remains strong and durable and gives a long effective life to the abrasive article.

In addition to their heat-resistance, the aminotriazine resins also enhance the hardness and stability of the phenolic resins, and therefore give a strong bond to molded abrasive articles. Moreover, the presence of an aminotriazinealdehyde resin in admixture with phenol-formaldehyde resins results in a composition that cures much more rapidly and completely in short periods of time, and which can therefore be manufactured cheaply and readily by standard molding procedures.

The broad principles of our invention are not limited to any single aminotriazine-aldehyde condensation product, and any resinophoric material of this class may be used if desired. However, the condensation products of melamine and its derivatives such as 2.4.6 triethyl and triphenyl triamino 1.3.5 triazines, 2.4.6 trihydrazino 1.3.5 triazine and the corresponding condensed triazines such as melam and melem appear at the present time to be of greatest immediate commercial importance. by reason of the availability of melamine and its derivatives from dicyandiamide or cyanuric chloride as raw materials, and for this reason abrasive compositions containing these classes of materials constitute preferred embodiments of the invention. On the other hand, triazines containing one or two reactive amino groups such as ammeline, ammelide, iormoguanamine, 2 amino 1.3.5 triazine and their substitution products as well as nuclear substituted aminotriazines such as 2 ch1oro-4.6 diamino 1.3.5 triazine, 2 phenyl 4 amino 6 hydroxy 1.3.5 triazine, 6 methyl 2.4 diamino 1.3.5 triazine and the like can be condensed with lower or higher aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic aldehydes to produce heat-resistant binders for abrasives and such condensation products are therefore included in the invention in its broader aspects.

Any of the foregoing aminotriazines, including melamine, substituted melamines and melamine derivatives, can be condensed with any suitable aldehyde of the aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic series such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, hexaldehyde, heptaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, allylaldehyde, benzaldehyde, cinnamylaldehyde, furfural. and the like to produce resins suitable for use in the manufacture of bonded abrasives in accordance with the principles of the invention.

The condensation between the aminotriazine and the aldehyde may take place under acid, neutral or alkaline conditions, and in the presence or absence of a solvent for the incompletely polymerized reaction products which are first formed. These condensation products maybe prepared by any suitable process and in any desired combining ratio of aldehyde to aminotriazine from 1:1 up to and including 6:1. Repre sentative methods of preparation will be described in the examples which are to follow.

The blends of aminotriazine-aldehyde resin and phenol-aldehyde resin may be prepared by any one of several processes such as are illustrated in thefollowing examples. Thus, for example, mixtures of phenol and melamine having any desired ratio may be reacted with formaldehyde solutions such as commercial 37% formalin solutions, preferably under alkaline conditions, and the resulting resin syrups may be dehydrated by vacuum distillation in the usual manner. In some cases, as in the preparation of sandpaper, emery paper and the like, the extent of dehydration may be reduced and the aqueous syrup may be used directly as a binder for the abrasive. Alternatively, aminotriazine-aldehyde resins may be mixed with phenolaldehyde resins, with or without the addition ofthe solvents or softening agents, and the resulting binder can then be spread over the abrasive by mechanical mixing.

Mixtures of granular abrasive material such as abrasive alumina, carborundum, diamond, etc.

with the bonding agents of the present invention may be cured by ordinary molding procedures, either with or without the addition of curing formaldehyde solution 1 prepared by heating 965 parts by i and 770 parts of 37% a lution after addition of 5.6 parts of sulphuric acid 1 in 150 parts of waier. 1 for about 45 minutes 121 inch vacuum was. applied and the resin dejhydrated at about ;for 1 .5; hours. or until a sample was hard and jbrittle on cooling, and ground.

1 An ainin friazinc-formaldehyde resin was preagents. Thus, for example, the mixtures may be cured by the action of heat and pressure by employing an acid curing agent such as phthalic acid, oxalic acid, or similar acid curing agents, and it is an advantage of the invention that the mixed aminotriazine-phenol-formaldehyde resin can be cured by this method in a much shorter time than the corresponding phenol-formalde-.

Hyde resins prepared from similar classesof material, However, abrasive articles may also be shaped by pressure alone followed by baking at 1 Example 1 A blended melamine-phenol resin was prepared by refluxing a. mixture of 3 moles of phenol and 2 moles of melamine with 11 moles of 37% aqueous for about one hour, after adjusting'the alkalinity of the solution to a. pH of 9.1 by addition of sodium carbonate. A vacuum of about 21 inches was then applied and the solution was dehydrated by vacuum evaporation of the water for about one hour. Acid was'then added to bring the pH to about 7.3 and dehydration was continued for about 1% hours longer until a sample was hard and brittle on cooling,- The product was then cooled and ground to 200-300 mesh particle size. V

1000 parts of Aloxite" grits, a. commercial form of abrasive alumina. were moistened with a mixture of 15 parts of furfural and 15 parts of monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol and then intimatel mixed with 100 parts by weight of the pulverized synthetic resin. The mixture was made uniform by blendin for about minutes in a mechanical mixer and the product was then heated for about minutes at somewhat tacky. Abrasive Whetstone blocks were cold molded from this mixture at about 900 pounds per sq. in. for 3 minutes and were then 1 cured for 5 hours by heating in an oven at 100 C.

Example 2 Instead of preparing theresin mixture by simultaneous reaction with formaldehyde as in Ex-' ample 1, it i equall feasible to employ mixtures of phenol-aldehyde dehyde resins in an desired proportion. This is true by reason of the fact that these two classes of r sins melamine res-in, the remainder being phemixtures of phenol-alde- An acid-reacted phenol-aldehyde resin was weight of phenol aqueous formaldehyde so- The heating was continued at 96-100 C., after which a the same temperature range Tlie product was then cooled C. until it Was fairly dry but resins and aminotriazine-al- 1 are compatible in all proportions, and it is. possible to prepare blends containing from 1-99% of the 1 nol-aldehyde resin or hyde resin with plasticizers, curing agents and the like.

3 parts of 82% pared by reacting 1 mole of melamine with 3 moles of 37% aqueous formaldehyde solution at 60 C., applying a vacuum, and evaporating the Water until a hard, brittle product was obtained. This product was also ground to 200-300 mesh.

1000 partsbyweight of Aloxitewere moistened as in Example 1 and parts of the phenolic resin H was heated for about 50 minutes at C. Whetstone blocks weighing about 200 g.

' mixture as in Exhours at C.

proportion of melaerties.

Example 4 23.6 parts by weight of dicyan'diamide and 26.4 phenol were heated and refluxed at atmospheric pressure with continuous'agitation properties.

-for about 4 hour thick paste.

paper and cured for 3 3 the mixture was spread on heavy kraft paper and cured for 3% hours at 80-85' C. A sandpaper was obtained having good adhesive and abrasive Example 5 Another portion of the resin solution of Egcampie 4 Was mixed with 17 7: of urea. The mixture was stirred and diluted with isopropanol to a 5.4 parts of'this paste and 13 parts of finely divided silica were spread on heavy kral" t hours at 80-85 C. A sandpaper having an even better bond between the abrasive and the paper than that of Example 4 was obtained. v

Example 6 Casein was swollen overnight with water and possessed excellent abrasive prop- Shortly after the heating was contain 70% dissolved by the addition of ammonium hydroxide to a clear solution containing 7.5% solids. Another portion of the resin solution described in Example 4 was poured into this casein solution with vigorous agitation to form an emulsion consisting of 71.5% of the resin solution and 28.5% of the casein solution. 4 parts of this emulsion were mixed with 11.? parts of gflnely divided Aloxite and the mixture was spread on heavy kraft paper and cured by heating for 3 hours at 8085 C. The results obtained in this example indicate that the resin can be admixed with the abrasive and applied to ing in the form of an aqueous emulsion instead of in solution if desired.

' Example 7 I 2 moles of melamine and 6 moles of 37% aque- 1 ous formaldehyde solution were made alkaline with half normal sodium hydroxide solution and heated to 80 C. with agitation. When the melamine was all dissolved the solution was filtered and refluxed for V2 hour, after which an additional 3 moles of phenol and 2 cc. of half normal sodium hydroxide were added. The melamine was again refluxed for an additional one hour period, after which 3 moles of aqueous formaldehyde solution were added together with 5 cc. of half normal sodium fluxing was then continued for an additional /2 1 hour period when a clear solution was obtained.

A sample of this solution, which was found to solids, was vacuum dehydrated to 60% solids and was used for the preparation of sandpaper as in Example 4.

.Ercmple 8 water under a 21 inch vacuum. Upon cooling a hard, brittle resin is obtained which is ground to 150-300 mesh.

100 parts of the ground resin were mixed with 1.75 parts of phthalic acid, oxalic acid, or similar acid curing agent, suitable amounts of zinc stearate or other lubricant and 400 parts of abrasive alumina of 100 mesh size. molded under the conditions outlined in Example 1, and excellent abrasive blocks were obtained.

In the foregoing example the phenol may be substituted, in'whole or in part, by meta-cresol,

The mixture was a paper or cloth backpara cresol, or mixtures thereof-when a cheaper binder and a softer flow in the mold are desired. Xylenols such as may also be included'in amounts up to about 50% of the total phenol or cresol used. if desired. This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Serial No. 261,060, filed March 10, 1939, now Patent No. 2,215,380 dated September 1'7, 1940.

What we claim is:

1. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder cured in contact therewith,

said binder containing a phenol-aldehyde resin and an aminotriazine-aldehyde resin.

hydroxide solution. The re- 2. An abrasive article comprising particles of and a melamine-aldehyde resin.

3. 'An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder cured in contact therewith,

'said binder containing a phenol-formaldehyde resin and a melamine-formaldehyde resin.

4. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder containing a phenol-aldehyde resin and an aminotriazine-aldehyde resin by heating in the presence of an acid curing agent.

5. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder cured in contact therewith,

said binder containing the condensation product of an aldehyde with the material obtained upon heating a mixture'oi with evolution of ammonia.

6. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder cured in contact therewith, said binder containing a resin obtained by condensing formaldehyde with the material obtained upon heating a mixture of dicynandiamide and a phenol with evolution of ammonia, the rormaldehyde gondensation being carried out 'at a pH of 9.0-9.

'7. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder containing a blend of 20-80 parts of a phenol-aldehyde resin and -20 parts of an aminotrlazine resin.

8. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder containing a blend of 20-80 parts. of a phenol-aldehyde resin and 80-20- parts of a melamine-aldehyde resin.

9. An abrasive article comprising particles of abrasive and a binder containing'a blend of 20-80 parts or a phenol-formaldehyde resin and 80-20 parts or a melamine-formaldehyde resin.

10. An abrasive article comprising amlxture of abrasive particles and a binder containing an aminotriazine-aldehyde resin and a phenol-aldehyde resin, said mixture being molded by heat and pressure in the presence of an acid curing agent.-

' ROBERT C. SWAIN. DONALD W. LIGHT.

1.2.4-xylenol and 1.3.5-xylenol abrasive and a binder cured in contact therewith, said binder containing a phenol-aldehyde resin dicya'ndiamide and a phenol 

